Potato-drill



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. L. ULSH.

POTATO DRILL.

(No Model.)

No. 379,745. Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

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2 SheetsSheet 2. J. L. ULSH.

POTATO DRILL.

(No Model.)

No. 379,745. Patented Mar. 20, 1888,

; ozwu ilnirnn STATES FATENT Grinch.

JOHN L. ULSH, OF SOUTH WVABASH, INDIANA.

POTATO-DR! LL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,745, dated March20, 1888.

Application filed November 7, 1887. Serial No. 254,570. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JOHN L. ULsH, of the town of South \Vabash,in thecounty of \Vabash and State of Indiana, have invented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Potato-Drills; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to that class of potatoplanters in which thepotatoes to be planted are fed to the feed-tube by hand, its objectbeing to improve this class of machines in several essential points; andmy invention consists in the several arrangements and details ofconstruction, as will be fully set forth in the following specificationand claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of myimproved planter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, one wheel being removed,and Fig. 3 is a detached detail; Fig. 4, a top plan view with the hopperremoved; and Fig. 5, a rear end elevation, with the rear ends of theplow-beams, the reversible marker, and covering-shovels cut away toclearly show the hinged guidebar.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in the respectivefigures.

A is the axle, which is arched, as shown at a; and B represents thewheels. To the top of the arch a is rigidly secured the wooden bar 0,which extends the whole length of the top of the arch.

D D are rails resting at one end on the bar 0, one at each end thereof,their other ends being supported by the iron braces E, which areattached to the axles A. Resting on and secured to the bars D D is aframe consisting of the side pieces, (I d, and the end piece, d, and onthis frame the tray or hopper F rests. The tray is provided at itsbottom with two crosspieces, ff, the piece f having at each end a pin, fwhich pins fit in recesses f in the side pieces, (1 d, and serve as apivot for the tray F, so that it can be tilted when necessary. The piecef is of a length to allow it to fit in between the sides d d, and thepiece f is notched out to allow a portion of it to fit in between thesides (I d, and so prevent the tray F having lateral movement.

To the under side of the rails D, immediately under the end piece, (1,is secured a crosspiece, (V. G is a bolt which passes through the twopieces d d and extends some distance downward. To this bolt the braces HH are secured at one end, their other ends being fastened to the underside of the bar 0. A

collar, h, is interposed on the bolt between the braces H and thecross-piece d. Immediately below the braces H, on the bolt G, is anothercollar, 9, having the ears or lugs g, which are provided with the holes1 I I are the plow-beams, the forward ends of which are connected toeach other by means of the metal plates 1', which are bolted to them andto each other. The forward or free ends of these plates t are pivotallysecured to the collar 9 by means of abolt which passes through the holest" in the plates and the holes g in the lugs on the collar. A hook, X,is also held by the same bolt, and to this hook the draftevener (notshown) is to be attached. A nut and washer 011 the lower end of the boltwill hold the several parts in position. By thus pivoting the plow-beamsat their forward ends they will lift in case the shovels should strike astone or other obstruction.

The bottom of the tray or hopper F is covered with sheet metal, e,and isprovided with a tube, 6, through which the potatoes to be planted arefed. The bar 0 is provided with a hole, in which is inserted a tube, 0,which is immediately below the tube 6 in the tray F. The tube 0 extendsdownward a short distance below the plow-beams,and is immediately behindthe shovel J,whieh forms the trench into which the potatoes are dropped.

The top of the shovel J is hinged atits rear side to a frame, K, and itsfront side is provided with a hasp, j, which fits overa staple, k, inthe frame K, a pin, 70, being used to keep the hasp and staple inengagement. The forward end of the frame K is hinged to the plates It",which are bolted to the plow-beams, and its rear end is supported bymeans of a rope or chain, Z, which is secured to it and to a pulley, Z,on which it can be wound. The pulley Z is mounted on a shaft, L, whichis journaled in IOC the rails D D. One end of the shaft L extends beyondone of the rails D, and is provided with a pulley, Z, to which issecured one end of the rope or chain m, the other end of said chainbeing secured to one arm of the bent lever M. The lever M is pivoted toa lug, m,which is bolted to the bar 0. The lever is provided with alocking device, m which engages with the teeth of the segment m alsosecured to the bar 0. By means of this lever, pulley, and cordarrangement, not only is the rear end of the frame K held in position,but the plow-beams can be lifted till the shovels are above the surfaceof the ground, and be held in that position when they are not requiredfor use.

N N are the covering-shovels, which are detachably secured to the rearends of the plowbeams.

0 is a bar rigidly secured at its upper end to the bar O,and extendingdownward and fitting snugly between the plow-beams. The lower end ofthis bar is in two pieces, hinged together at 0. The object of the bar 0is to make the plow-beams follow the tongue and prevent them fromveering from side to side when the front shovel is in the ground, andthe lower end is hinged as described in order that it may not be brokenin case the front shovel should strike a stone or other obstruction andbe bent backward.

P is areversible row-marker, pivoted to the end of the bar 19, whichextends rearwardly midway'between the plow-beams, being held in positionby means of the cross-barp, to which it is rigidly secured, the bar 12being bolted to the plow-beams. When not in .use, the marker 1? issuspended by means of the loop p, which engages with an eye on thecrossbar 19 secured to the plow-beams.

Q is the tongue secured to the frame of the machine in the ordinary way.

R is the drivers seat, and S is a seat for the operator who feeds thepotatoes to the tube.

The hub of one of the wheels 13 is provided with ratchet-teeth b, withwhich one end of a bent lever, 11, engages. This lever is pivoted on theend of the bar 0, and carries on its other end a hammer, b, whichstrikes the gong B when the wheel is revolved. (See Fig. 3.) The objectof this gong is to enable the operator who feeds the potatoes to thetube to ascertain the speed at which the machine is traveling and enablehim to feed the potatoes regularly.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patentof the United States, is-

1. The combination, with a main frame, of a boltdepending from theforward central portion of the same, a collar embracing said bolt andprovided with laterally-extending perforated ears or lugs, plow-beamsconnected at their forward ends, plates whereby the forward ends of saidplow-beams are secured together, said plates passing forward uponopposite sides of the ears or lugs, a bolt pivotall y securing theplates to the ears or lugs, a rock-shaft horizontally journaled in themain frame and connected with the plow-beams,and a lever pivoted uponthe main frame and connected with the rock-shaft, whereby the plowbeamscan be vertically adjusted, substantially as described.

' 2. The combination, with a main frame and the plow-beams pivotallysecured to the same, of a frame hinged at its forward portion to theplow-beams to have a limited vertical swing, an openingshovel hinged atits upper rear end to the under side of said frame and removably securedat its front edge to the same by means of a hasp and staple, ahorizontal rock-shaft journaled in the main frame and connected withsaid hinged frame by a chain or cord, and a lever pivoted to the mainframe and connected with the rockshaft, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a main frame and the plow-beams pivotallysecured to the same at their forward portions, of a horizontal rockshafttransversely journaled in the main frame above the plow-beams, a pulleycentrally located upon the rock-shaft, a chain or cord secured to saidpulley and connected with the plow-beams, an operating-lever pivoted tothe main frame, an additional pulley upon the rock-shaft connected withsaid lever byachain or cord, and a locking and holding device wherebythe lever, and hence the plow-beams, can be held at the desired verticalposition substantially as described.

4. The combination,with the main frame and the opening andcoveringshovels, of a hopper mounted upon the main frame, a cross-piecesecured to and extending across the bottom of the hopper, the oppositeends of said crosssame is allowed a vertically-tilting movement, anadditional cross piece secured to the hopper and engaging the main frameto prevent lateral movement of the hopper, a downwardly-extending tubecarried by the hopper, and a tube carried by the main frame andextending from the lower end of the hoppertube to the rear side of theopening-shovel, substantially as described.

5. In combination, the plow-beams, a shovelframe hinged at its forwardportion to swing downwardly below said plow-beams, an open-- pieceloosely extending into the main frame upon each side of the hopper,whereby the of a bolt depending from the same and provided with acollar,- the plow-beams pivoted at their forward ends to said collar,and a guide-bar secured to the main frame at its upper portion andhaving its lower end extending downward and fitting between theplowbeams, whereby the plow-beams are allowed a vertical movement, butare prevented from swinging laterally, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the main frame, of a bolt depending from thesame, a collar embracing said bolt, the plow-beams connect ed at theirforward ends and pivoted to said collar, and a guide bar secured to themain frame at its upper portion and having its lower portion extendingdownward and fitting between the plow-beams, the said lower portionbeing formed in two sections hinged together to swing rearwardly,wherebythe plowbeams are prevented from lateral swing, sub stantially asdescribed.

9. In combination with the plow-beams, of a cross-bar connecting therear portions of said plow-beams, a supporting-bar secured to saidcrossbar and extending rearwardly from the same between the plow-beams,and a marker pivoted to the rear end of the supporting-bar and adaptedto swing upwardly and over and engage the ground upon either side of theplow-beams, substantially as described.

10. The combination,with the plow-beams, of a cross-bar secured to therear portions of the plow-beams, a supporting-bar secured to saidcrossbar and extending rearwardly from the same between the plow-beams,a marker pivoted to the end of said supportingbar and adapted to swingupwardly and over and engage the ground upon either side of theplow-bcams,and a hook pivoted to the marker, whereby the marker can beheld suspended out of engagement with the ground, substair tiall y asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I al'iix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN L. ULSH.

Witnesses:

WARREN BIGLER, J OHN H. DIcKEN.

